Mechanical powder puff



Jan. 1s, 1.938. N. TESTI 4 2,105,621

MECHANICAL POWDER PUFF Filed Sept. 24, 1936 INVENTOR AfcbfiolaarmifllATTORNEY 4 Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANICALPOWDER PUFF Application September 24, 1936, Serial No. 102,358

8 Claims.

The present invention consists in a mechanical powder puff, that is tosay, in a device constructed and arranged to contain a supply of toiletpowder or the like and to discharge it freely over an appreciable areawhen the user desires to apply it.

An object of my invention is to provide a compact and efficient devicein which an ample supply of powder shall be maintained instantlyavailable in such quantities as may be desired and from which the powdershall be discharged without any effort on the part of the user beyondthat of moving the device as a whole over the parts of the body to betreated.

The device of my invention is herein shown as designed to be used as anattachment for a dry shaving implement and may replace the shearing headupon the casing which serves as a handle for the shaving implement andhouses the motor thereof. The device includes a vibratory diaphragm fordischarging powder from the supply through perforations in one wall ofthe powder container and, when the device is used as an attachment for adry shaver, this diaphragm may be operatively connected to the motor andactuated thereby. On the other hand, the device may comprise a unitaryorganization having its own motor and handle.

A feature of the invention lies in a flexible and vibratory wallperforated so that powder may be discharged through it and provided withspaced projections designed to impart a massaging treatment to thesurface of the body under treatment. For example, when the device isused as an at tachment for a dry shaver the user has all the 35appliances available for shaving, powdering and facial massage.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a view of the device partly in elevation and partly inlongitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

45 Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the powder container andassociated parts;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a powder containing cartridge;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, on a greatly enlarged scale, ofa portion of the powder discharging wall of the device;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View in perspective showing the end of the motorshaft;

Figs. '7 and 8 are fragmentary views in ele vation, with portions brokenaway, showing two modified forms of the device;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in section, showin a third modified form ofthe device; and

Fig. 10 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 9.

In the drawing the device is shown as an attachment for a dry shavingimplement having an elongated cylindrical casing l 0 in which is houseda motor having a rotor H and shaft l2 journaled in bearings formed aspart of the casing. It will be understood, however, that this particularembodiment of the invention is selected for illustration only and thatthe device may be constructed, if desired, with the unitary purpose ofproviding a mechanically actuated powder puff.

Referring first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the end of the housingI0 is shaped to present a threaded ring or flange and upon this isdetachably secured an auxiliary casing l4 having a ring portion threadedfor engagement with the corresponding part of the casing l0 and acylindrical wall which forms a portion of the powder container. The openend of the auxiliary housing [4 is closed and the powder containercompleted by a cap or sleeve member having a cylindrical wall I5 whichfits telescopically upon the corresponding wall of the auxiliary housing[4. The cap or sleeve member is provided with a circumferential rib i6,grooved about its inner face to receive a circular perforated end wallll. In the illustrated device the end wall I1 is flexible, being formedof hard rubber, and is provided with a series of perforated roundedprojections or bosses l8. These serve as discharge openings for thepowder container and also as massaging projections.

The auxiliary casing 14 is provided with an annular groove or channel inits inner face, about its cylindrical wall and in this is mounted acircular flexible diaphragm I9 which may also be of hard rubber or othersuitable composition. The diaphragm I9 is provided at its center with afixed metallic stud 20 which projects upwardly and is provided at itsend with a transverse rib. The rib of the stud 20 is so shaped andlocated as to extend slightly into the transversely grooved end of themotor shaft [2 thus presenting a metallic face to receive impulses.Accordingly, as the shaft is rotated, the stud 20 and the diaphragm I9in which it is set are vibrated rapidly toward and from the dischargeend wall I! of the powder container. The mass of powder containedtherein and the air within the container are thereupon agitated as theair is drawn in and out through the discharge opening and the result isthat the powder is discharged in an extremely rapid series of smallpuffs through all of the bosses l8 which may be symmetricallydistributed as shown in Fig. 2 in any desired pattern throughout thearea of the circular wall H. In addition to the copious and distributeddischarge of powder thus brought about, the mass of powder within thecontainer is agitated, aerated and prevented from settling into acompact cake and the flexible end wall is also vibrated by thepulsations imparted to it through the body of air in the container.

The container may be refilled by removing the cap or sleeve member fromthe cylindrical portion of the auxiliary casing 14 and powder pouredinto it or a cartridge of powder may be inserted at this time. Such acartridge is illustrated in Fig. 4 as having cylindrical walls 36 andend walls 31 of fine mesh or gauze effective to hold the powder in placeuntil it is agitated within the container.

In the device illustrated in Fig. 1 the flexible end wall I! has noconnection with the flexible diaphragm I9 but has a vibration impartedto it through the action of the body of air interposed between the two.In the modification shown in Fig. 1, on the other hand, the perforatedand flexible end wall 25 is connected through a spring 24 to theflexible diaphragm 22 and a vibration is imparted from one to the otherthrough this mechanical connection. In this device the cap member 2|contains the circular end wall 25. The diaphragm 22 in the auxiliarycasing I4 is provided with a stud 23 extending upwardly and having a ribin its upper end and extending downwardly below the diaphragm to form aguide spindle for the spiral spring 24.

In the modification of Fig. 8 the auxiliary casing 14 is provided with arigid diaphragm 26 hav-- ing a central boss with a square bore whichforms bearings for the stud 27. The latter has a square stem which isheld against turning in the boss of the diaphragm and is provided with across rib in its upper end. The stud 2'! is extended downwardly intoengagement with a metallic button fast in the flexible end wall 28 ofthe cap member 30. In this construction the wall 28 alone vibrates.

In Figs. 9 and 10 is illustrated a modified form of cap member 32capable of use, for example, with the device of Fig. 1. In this case arelatively thick and flexible end wall 34, having convergent dischargeopenings, is provided with a cover sheet 35 of felt or velvet.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A device of the class described comprising a container for a supplyof powder, a perforated cover therefor, a mechanically vibrateddiaphragm associated with the container and serving to discharge powderfrom the supply therein,

and power operated means contained within the device for vibrating saiddiaphragm.

2. A device of the class described comprising a container for a supplyof powder, one wall of the container being perforated by dischargeopenings and the opposite wall comprising a mechanically vibrateddiaphragm operating to discharge powder through the discharge openings,and power operated means contained within the device for vibrating saiddiaphragm.

3. A device of the class described comprising a cylindrical containerfor a supply of powder, the container having an outer perforated endwall and an interior diaphragm arranged to vibrate toward and from saidend wall to discharge powder through the perforations thereof, and poweroperated means contained entirely within the device for vibrating thediaphragm at high speed.

4. A device of the class described comprising a container having aperforated flexible wall provided with spaced massaging projections, aninterior diaphragm and means for imparting a vibration to said diaphragmcausing powder within the container to be discharged through theperforations of said flexible wall and the wall itself to vibrate withsaid projections.

5. A device of the class described comprising a container having a wallof flexible material, a plurality of rounded and perforated studs set insaid wall and projecting from the outer face thereof, a diaphragmmounted within the device in spaced parallel relation to said wall, andmechanism for vibrating said diaphragm, whereby the said projections aremaintained in a state of vibration and powder from the containerdischarged through them.

6. An attachment for a dry shaving implement, comprising a casing havinga threaded flange for attachment to the implement, a vibratory diaphragmhaving a central stud presenting a metallic face to receive impulses,and a flexible perforated wall arranged to discharge powder containedbetween said diaphragm and said wall.

7. An attachment for a dry shaving implement having a rotary motor,comprising a casing shaped for detachable engagement with saidimplement, a flexible diaphragm mounted within said casing and having astud projecting therefrom and presenting a metallic face to receiveimpulses, and a cap member removably mounted on said casing and having aflexible wall perforated to discharge powder contained between thediaphragm and wall.

8. A device of the class described comprising a casing having acontainer for a supply of powder, the container having a diaphragm onone side and a flexible, perforated discharge wall on the other side ofthe powder supply, and power driven means contained within the deviceand acting through the diaphragm for vibrating the discharge wall.

NICHOLAS TESTI.

